Saturday, January 4, 2014

[ACKS Monster] Malgakim

In the eastern lands of Rhule, small groups of humanoids who call themselves the Malgaks, or Malgakim, can be found working as mercenaries and blacksmiths. The Malgakim are human-sized and humanoid, clad in all-swaddling robes and armor, and wearing elaborate all-concealing face masks, similar to Japanese mempo. Typically, these masks and armors are composed of copper, bronze, brass, and iron, layers and welded into art objects. The Malgakim go armed with great iron staves, maces, hammers, and other heavy bludgeons. They are happy to make spears, swords, and other blades for their customers, but do not seem to use such items amongst themselves.Rarely do their patrons see the Malgakim without their armor and robes, but those who have indicate that the Malgakim are inhuman in form and substance- composed of loose, yellow-white flesh, with watery, pupil-less eyes and lipless, toothless mouths. Where the Malgakim came from is a mystery, but the greybeards say that in ages past, when the Ancients had business with the stars, the Malgakim came to trade in magic and steel, and those few remaining are their legacy. The Malgakim are, for the most part, Chaotic, but there are some few who are Neutral and deal more favorably with Man. Malgakim, themselves, do not use arcane magic, but have strange powers over metal and its workings. With a thought, they can heat metal to forge-hot, dealing 1d3 damage plus AC bonus per round to a target wearing armor, or force a foe to drop their weapon or suffer 1d4 damage. They can also warp metal to uselessness, such as portculli or restraints. The Malgakim claim to have aligned themselves in ages past with a force from beyond Talis which has no name, but has taught certain elder Malgakim smiths how to drag the spirit of the willing dead from beyond and suffuse a weapon with it. Indeed, it is considered a great honor amonst the Malgakim to be selected for "rebirth" in the form of a well-wrought weapon. Greater still is to be placed within a construct body, to guide and guard the Malgakim race for all time.Malgakim